Auburn University is the largest, most comprehensive university in the state. Auburn is the state's major graduate school for students in engineering, agriculture, physical and biological sciences, veterinary medicine, fisheries, psychology, and many other areas of study.
Auburn first offered courses in Chemical Engineering in 1913. Our graduate program in chemical engineering began early in the department's history. The first class of M.S. Chemical Engineering graduates received their degrees in 1919. Our doctoral program began in 1974. Auburn began admitting women early in its history. The first female students came to Auburn in 1892. Women have been earning chemical engineering degrees at Auburn since the early days of our program. Mrs. Esther Thompson Spencer was one of our first female graduates; she earned a B.S. and an M.S. in chemical engineering in 1918 and 1919, respectively.
Since our program began, we have consistently attracted large classes of undergraduates and our graduate program has experienced substantial growth since the 1950's. Enrollment of graduate students began to rise as the popularity of chemical engineering graduate degrees increased and as extramural funding became more available. One grant in particular, a considerable grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF), enabled us to expand our program to include more dynamic research that, in turn, attracted more graduate students and enabled us to support them. The NSF grant was the beginning of our coal research program that remains an important research effort in our department. Strong support from industry and government continues today.
The department is principally located in Ross Hall, with additional research, lab, teaching, and office space in adjoining buildings. Currently, the department has 20 research and teaching laboratories for its undergraduate and graduate students. Tennessee Eastman recently invested a substantial amount in our undergraduate laboratories allowing us to begin upgrading and improving them. Prominent research centers Auburn directs include the Space Research Institute, the Consortium for Commercial Applications of Space, the Molecular Genetics and Biotechnology Center, the Advanced Manufacturing Technology Center, the National Center for Asphalt Technology (NCAT), the Pulp and Paper Research and Educational Center (PPREC), the Alabama Microelectronics Science and Technology Center, the Highway Research Center, the Space Science and Engineering Center, and the Water Resources Research Institutes.
The Space Research Institute, SRI, which conducts space-related research programs, was established in 1985 with initial funding from the Auburn University administration and the Strategic Defense Initiative's office of Innovative Science Technology. Auburn is the lead institute in a five school consortia which includes subcontractors in the United Kingdom and Canada. Auburn's SRI coordinates the research performed on the Auburn campus and at the four other universities. The institute also allows collaborative programs with other educational institutions and with industrial partners. SRI's goal is to establish the institute as the academic focus for the nation's space power program. Bruce Tatarchuk of the chemical engineering department is heavily involved with research at the institute. In recognition of its contributions to space research, NASA designated Auburn a space grant university.
At the request of pulp and paper industry leaders, the College of Engineering established the Pulp and Paper Research and Education Center, PPREC, in 1985. Industry leaders felt Auburn's significant contributions to the industry and its location in the heart of the pulp and paper manufacturing area made it the ideal university to direct the project. The goal of the PPREC is to conduct research on improving productivity and profitability in the industry, to provide highly-skilled engineers for the industry, to further the application of science and advanced technology in the industry by conducting fundamental applied research with emphasis on quality and cost efficiency, to be a continuing educational resource for the industry, and to provide a facility for developmental activities in pulp and paper manufacture. The PPREC is one of the leading paper research centers in the South.
The College of Engineering began offering graduate courses via video instruction during 1984 for engineers who wished to improve and upgrade their skills to keep pace with the rapid technological advancements in engineering. The courses were designed for students maintaining full-time employment. Students pursuing a graduate degree through video-based instruction are required to complete the same coursework as our other students. For additional information regarding this program, call the Graduate Outreach Program at (334)844-5300.
